NBL: Fuming Jackies take early guilty plea, Lee banned for cutthroat semi

The JackJumpers have expressed their disappointment at the NBL’s system after centre Marcus Lee was suspended from tomorrow’s do or die home semi. Read their reaction here.

Marcus Lee of the JackJumpers hit with shock suspension. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images

The JackJumpers have expressed their disappointment at the lack of clarity around the NBL’s judicial system after reluctantly accepting a one-game ban which has rubbed centre Marcus Lee out of Monday’s do-or-die home semi.

The NBL’s Game Review Panel (GRP) charged Lee with unduly rough play after assessing an incident involving Wildcat Jordan Usher during the fourth quarter of the 89-81 game one defeat in Perth on Friday.

They received a request from the Wildcats to review the incident, and deemed his action as intentional, medium impact and high contact.

The charge carried a two game suspension, but the Jackies entered the early plea to get it reduced to one, ensuring Lee is available for a possible game three decider in Perth.

It’s the last thing the JackJumpers need before their quest for a first NBL title goes on the line in a do-or-die game two at MyState Bank Arena.

Jackies coach Scott Roth said he doesn’t understand the system and how gradings are allocated.

“Only thing I’ll say is I don’t understand the process. It’s completely foreign to me,” he told media on Sunday.

“I have a hard time wrapping my head around how they go about assigning those things.

“The referees make the call on the floor, but then it gets to some other person that’s not a basketball person to make decisions on things. It’s a bizarre operating system for me.

“If somone gets hit or fouled, in my three years here you have no idea what could be handed down. I don’t understand the process and how it all works, it’s out of my territory.”

Jackies chief operating officer Darren Smith made his frustrations at the process abundantly clear.

We’re disappointed to not have Marcus available, but more disappointed with how it’s come about,” he said.

“The incident was assessed as an unsportsmanlike foul at the time and that was the reasonable and appropriate penalty in our opinion. It was not cited by the referees during, nor following, the game, but has been brought about by the Wildcats’ administration.

“We have to accept the GRP’s decision and now move on to tomorrow night’s game, determined to defend our home floor.”

After overcoming a shoulder injury he suffered in the play-in win over Illawarra, Lee was one of Tasmania’s standouts in Perth with 16 points.

The setback comes on the same day the club announced the re-signing of Will Magnay on a two year deal.

Jackies general manager of basketball Mika Vukona said they were disappointed by the timing of the charge before the most important game of the season.

“We’re disappointed in the process. Obviously the timing with the call the refs made as an unsportmansklike (foul) then to be taken (further) by the Integrity unit at such a crucial time,” he said.

“It’s just disappointing in the contest of where we are. We’re in a a semi final game, intensity goes up a notch and physicality does the same thing.

“For us to get that lodged, they (Perth) had their right to do that, but obviously the timing for us coming into the second game and needing to win is always hard.”

Vukona is confident the JackJumpers can level the series and force a decider in Perth if Lee doesn’t suit up.

“Next man up is our mentality, that’s always been the case,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who have been training all through the year. Yeah we’d miss what he brings, but we have also have the confidence we can do this as a team.”

Roth also questioned the NBL policy of assigning the same referees to games in a semi final series, believing they’re “creating bias”.

“It’s another thing I can’t wrap my head around,” he said.

“When you get to finals they have the referees travel with you for finals, and for me it’s just creating bias.

“It’s creating a pre-determined situation going into the next game. You’re not creating consistency, that is a myth.

“If I get after a referee, he’s going to hold a grudge against me, that’s just human nature.”

“There can’t be consistency because you’re not getting fresh eyes on things going on and you’re just creating a bias with players, or how a team plays.”